Venice

Considered the Mediterranean city of love, Venice has one of the most beautiful port entrances that can be admired from a balcony stateroom of a cruise ship.

Over the last years more and more cruise companies like Celebrity Cruises are using Venice, not only as the starting point of their routes, but also as port of call for their long routes (12-14 nights), spending a whole night docked.

Other companies like Pullmantur remain here for more than 10 hours, something that helps if you want to visit the nearby islands like Murano for example.

The port is located far away from San Marco, so we'll have to take the ships shuttle service or a vaporetto, which is in fact more a tourist attraction than a transportation

There are several vaporetto lines to get to San Marco, but to me it’s better to go back to Piazzale Roma and take line 1 through the Grand Canal (passing under Rialto and Accademia bridges). The best way to reach Piazzale Roma from the pier is the "People Mover", an electric train (you’ll find it near terminal 107). Watertaxis are very expensive. Anyway there is an information point about transportation in Venice near the cruise terminal 107.

SAN MARCO

OFFICIAL TOURS. We can choose between panoramic views of the city, visits to Murano (famous for its crystal) or the classic gondola ride.

ALTERNATIVES. Pick up a map and get lost in the corners of Venice. There is an interesting route through the most attractive places of Venice. I propose the following:

San Marco> San Moise (by XXII Marzo)> Santa Maria di Giglio> Teatro La Fenice> Campo Santo Stefano> Ponte Accademia> Museo dell 'Accademia> Scuola Grande if S. Rocco> Santa Maria di Frari> Campo San Polo> Ponte Rialto> San Giovanni e Paolo> Church of the Pieta> Hotel Danieli> Ponte of Paglia

If you want to look for a gondola ride, there is a stop at Cavaletto on the western part of San Marco, next to the Hard Rock Cafe. I recommend to negotiate the best price as it depends on the number of people, if the gondolier sings, if you want to drink a glass of prosecco...

WHERE TO EAT: Venice is very expensive, and more expensive as we get closer to San Marco.
If we choose a trattoria or restaurant be sure that the price shown on the list includes every charge like taxes, service charge or gratuities.

Just in case you want to drink a beer in Piazza San Marco, with an orchestra playing some songs, it will cost between 12 and 15 € (a small beer or bottle). If you eat an ice cream, the price is even higher ... So if you want a glamorous place where you can sit down, rest and drink something in Venice, I recommend Hotel Danielli. It is a classic, historical hotel in Venice near the Grand Canal and has beautiful interiors (you can visit it). It will cost 8€ (instead of  5€ on any bar) for a beer with snacks, the restrooms are clean and its worth the money.
A good choice for a sandwich or Panini is Roma Street on the right side of San Marco. It is a long street with  italian fast food restaurants and bars, where you can buy a panini with goat cheese and parma ham

SHOPPING: In the same street (Roma Street) and surroundings there are many souvenir shops, some very curious…

LINKS:
Hotel Danieli
Vaporetto
 

Port of Venice

If you chose Venice as starting port of your cruise for sure you will be worried and nervous, because Venice is not an ordinary city. I will try to clear up many doubts about transportation, how to get to the port and where to find a suitable hotel with good connections.

Venice is a charming city with beautiful views over the Mediterranean, but also very difficult for passengers embarking and disembarking from cruise ships due to its channels. Don’t forget that Venice is surrounded by water and details like finding a taxi can be a bit more complicated to archive, and more if you have to carry bags from one side to the other.

 

WATER TAXI STOP AT MARCO POLO

There are several options for transportation in Venice:

• WATER TAXI. They are very, very expensive. It is advisable to negotiate price before getting on it. For example, one way (4 people and luggage) from the Cruise Terminal to San Marco can cost at 75€ minimum (from San Marco to Marco Polo Airport 100 € minimum). I say minimum because taxi drivers take advantage of days when the port is full of cruise ships and passengers to raise prices at will, so be careful.It’s a good way to go through the city, but they do not always stop in the door of your destination, but in the nearest available dock. Some hotels have their own dock, but they only let their taxis stop there but not every watertaxi. It’s possible that your hotel doesn’t allow your watertaxi to dock there and it will have to stop in the nearest available place (yes, a little absourd...)
• CONVENTIONAL TAXI. They only get to Piazzale Roma and of course to the cruise terminal.
• ALILAGUNA. They are more expensive than Vaporettos, but with less stops. It’s the best way to get to the airport from San Marco, but be careful and and keep your bags with you.
• VAPORETTO. It’s the public transport in Venice and the best way to travel without luggage

• PEOPLE MOVER. It is a driverless electric train between the cruise terminal and Piazzale Roma (it costs 1 € per trip)

 

HOTELS. If you’ve read our article ”first day, first steps…” you'll probably get to Venice one day before the departure of your cruise. You may be tempted to find a nice romantic hotel near San Marco. Well, I highly recommend you don’t. It’s better t look after a hotel near Piazzale Roma to reach there by taxi and explore Venice by Vaporetto after leaving your bags at the hotel.

Hotels in Venice are very expensive and a room in a three or four stars hotel can cost between 150€ and 300€

 

AIRPORT. The main airport Marco Polo is located in the north side of Venice and its very small. When you leave the terminal you will find a Taxi (with wheels) to take you to Piazzale Roma for about 30-40 €, or a bus that makes the trip for about 3 €.
If your destination is the center of Venice, just outside the airport to the left you find a passage covered by a plastic roof that will take you to the pier next to the airport. There you will find a few Water Taxis and the Alilaguna stop (to San Marco) 

One very important thing to know is that the airport does not officially allow passengers to arrive more then 2 hours before the departure of the flight, but when I was there nobody checked our flight time at the entrance.

MAP OF VENICE (IMPORTANT)

 

CRUISE TERMINALS. There is a main port in Venice and a secondary one (next to the other). The first usually used by Costa Cruises and MSC (18-20-107-109), while the second is used by HAL, Ibero Cruises, Royal and in some cases smaller vessels (117-123). The terminals are located near Piazzale Roma and are connected with the People Mover.

In the terminal 107 (usually used by Costa) you can leave your luggage ($) if your flight departs at the afternoon and you want to visit Venice. It usually closes at 17 hours.

At the exit of the terminal there is a place where you can buy tickets of Alilaguna or ask for a Watertaxi (negotiate prices there). You can also ask for a combinated price for a transfer to your hotel and to the airport the next day (although it seems better to buy only one transfer just in case the water taxi canot dock at your hotel)

If you arrive to Venice by car you’ll find a parking in Piazzale Roma and another one in Tronchetto.

If you are arriving or departing by train, Santa Lucia station is in the north side of the cruise terminal and connected by a bridge without steps, so you can drag your bags without problems (it takes about 10-15 minutes walk). The station also has luggage deposit ($).

LINKS
Alilaguna

Water Taxi

Port of Venice